Automobile.



J. O. SPARKS.

AUTOMOBILE. APPLICATION FILED NOV. :8. 1912.

Patented Apr. 8, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET lv wi/hwmo J. C. SPARKS.

AUTOMOBILE. 7 APPLICATION FILED NOV. 18, 1:12

1 ,05 8, 341 Patented Apr. '8, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

J. C. SPARKS.

AUTOMOBILE. APPLIOATIQN rum ndv. 18, 1912. 1,058,341 Patented Apr. 8, 1913.

Ja o '0.- mnKs, or CONCORD, NEBRASKA- AUTOMOBILE.

To all whit gm it mag concern? Be *it' known that I," J ASON C.

SPARKS, a

citizen of the United-States of America, re-

siding at Concord, in the county of Dixon andIState-of Nebraska, have invented certain new" andu'seful Improvements in Automobiles, of which the following is a specification. v

The present invention relates to automoe biles and has for its purpose to provide an arrangement for propelling the cars of that character .without the employmentof the usual wheel driving mechanism and whereby all of the present unfavorable conditions attending automobile propulsion are avoided.

The invention has for-its further purpose to provide a construction which will be inexpensive to install, one which will be thoroughlyreliable when in use; and which will present an attractive appearance-and one which will suggest itself as an appropriate device to the public generally.

Vith these and other objects in view the invention consists in the arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter clailnet, and while the invention is not restricted to the exact details shown and described, still,

for the purpose of disclosure, reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which like characters designate the same parts in the several views, and in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of an automobile equipped with the present invention; Fig, 2 is .a top plan view of the same; Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the friction drive used in forward running; Fig. 4 is' a similar view' showing the means for effecting reverse running; Fig. 5 is an enlarged detailed perspective view-of the reverse controlling device; Fig. dis atransverse sectional view of the propeller shaft bearing support; and, Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of said support showing the propeller shaft in elevation.

Referring to the construction in detail 1 designates a vehicle, which is herein shown as an automobile having the usual motor 2, mounted therein in any suitable manner.

The motor shaft 3 has a fly wheel at of truncat-ed conical design whereby to provide a frictipn-drivmg member. Sa d flywheel has frictional engagement with a similar but smaller .f riction wheel 5 mounted on shaft .6, said shaftb' is mounted .at its orward end "on an arm 7 that is supported at the frontspecification Letters Patent A ca i n e; vem r s 191% sea 782.095.

rammed A r-.6; 191.3.

of the vehicles. The-upper end of the support 7 1s cut away (see Fig. 6) to provide a pa r of members 8 between which a sleeve 1s Journaled on a pair of'pin's 10. The inner 'end of the shaft 6:55 journaled ina bearing block 11 that ismounted on an arm .12 carried by a lever 13. The leverl? is fulcrurned at 14 on a bar 15 that is dis ,osed transversely of and mounted on the rame of the vehicle. Said lever is provided with a treadle 16 whereby the friction wheel 5 may be moved out of engagement with the friction driving wheel 4 as will be understood. The shaft 6 is disposed on and inclined to the horizontal, and carries on its outer end a propeller 17 whose blades are disposed at that "pitch most suited for producing pressure against the air. A bracing bar 18 is provided for reinforcing the propeller blades,

In the arrangement of friction drive shown in Fig. 3 the propeller 17 is driven to produce theforward running of the vehicle, and to produce the reverse thereof there is provided a foot operated device comprising a relatively small friction wheel 19 adapted to be thrown into engagement with both of the friction wheels 4 and 5..as in that manner shown in Fig. 4.- Said friction wheel 19 is mounted between the arms 20 of a bracket that is fulcrumed on a shaft 21 1- that is in turn mounted on suitable members 272 and 23 carried by the veh ele frame. An arm 2-}.- is formed integral with said bracket and its free a d engaged by a bifurcated portion 25 of a lever 26 that is fulcrumed on a shaft 15 (see- Figs. 1 and A tread-1e lever 2i? having a treadle 28 is formed integral with the lever -26 and through the movement of said treadle lever 27 the bracket carrying the friction roller 19 is caused to be thrown into engaging position. .SVhen engaging for reverse'drive'the friction pulley 5 is held in position throughits own weight together with the weight of its shaft 6,v and the bearing block 11. A spring 29 is provided for moving the friction roller 19 out'of contact has its respective ends secured to the vehicle frame and to a cross-bar 30 connecting the bracket arms 20. Vith this type of propelli g means, for an automobile or other vehicle a" artial vacuum will be created in front of the car which will act to cause the vehicle to move; there is the further feature that no wind will be thrown againstthe occupants with the friction wheelsand 5. Said spring the vehicle, and the car will run quietly and easily. t a

It is obvious that those skilled'in the art may vary the details of construction and ar rangement of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention, and therefore I I claim as new and desire to protect by U. S.

Letters Patent is: The combination with a vehicle of an upwardly disposed arm at the fore end thereof;

- a sleeve fulcrumed on'said arm; a propeller shaft journaled in said sleeve and disposed downwardly toward the rear of the vehicle; an air propeller on said shaft; a movable journal bearing for the lower end of'said shaft; a motor carried by the vehicle; a friction wheel mounted on said propeller shaft and adapted to have frictional engagement with the motor driven friction wheel; a relatively smaller friction wheel ada ted to be engaged with the aforesaid friction wheels to effect reverse driving of said shaft; and means for moving said last named friction Wheel into and out of frictional engagement, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JASON C. SPARKS.

' Witnesses:

A. BRENNAN, D. VAN DONSELARD. 

